Separating-machine



(No Model.) 5 SheeEs-Sheet 1. N. 'W. "HOLT.

SEPARATING MACHINE. v No. 384,950. Patent d June 19, 1888-.

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W. HOLT. SEPARATING MACHINE.

Patented June 19, 1888.

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N. W. HOLT.

SEPARATING MACHINE.

No. 384,950. PatenteqJune 19 1888.

(No Model 5 Sheet-Sheet 4.,

N. W. HOLT.

SEPARATING MACHINE.

o. 384,950. I Patented Jun 19, 1888.

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5 Sheets-Sheet N W. HOLT.

SEPARATING MACHINE. No. 384,950. Patented June 19, 1888.

. Wtzzessa -UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NOAH w. HOLT, on ANoHEsrER, MICHIGAN.

SEPARATING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 384,950, dated June-19, 1888. Application filed March 9, 1888. Serial No. 266.715. I (No model.) Patented in Canada April 4, 1888, No. 28,807.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NOAH W. HOLT, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Manchester, in the county of \Vashtenaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Separating-Machines, (for which on April 4, 1888, Iobtained apatent, No. 28,807, in the Dominion of Canada,) of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawlngs.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a machine containing my invention,taken on line a: at, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 1 y, Fig. 1. Fig. at is a horizontal section on line zz, Fig. 1. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are details. Fig. 8 shows amodification. Fig. 9 is a vertical section enlarged, of the aspirator-chamber. t

This invention relates to a separating'machine in which the. material fed in is divided into different grades, according to its specific gravity, both the heavier and lighter particles being delivered through their respective outlets, the lighter particles being collected in and discharged from a chamber which is separate and apart from the aspirating-chamber.

In the machine shown in the drawings, A A represent generally the frame work of the machine.

B B is an inclosing shell or casing, of which the lower part, B, is funnel-shaped, the upper part, B, being preferably circular in crosssection and of uniform diameter throughout.

C is a shell or casing, preferably circular in cross-section and of uniform diameter, but of less diameter than the shell B, and arranged concentric therewith, these parts forming be-- tween them an annular chamber, b, closed at its upper side by a dock or top plate.

c is a flange projectinginward from the shell 0 ashort distance above its lower edge, and is,

by preference, made of wood and secured by screws passing through the shell and into the periphery of this flange- D is a ring or downward, projecting flange connected at its upper edge to the inner edge of the flange c, and preferably funnel-shaped, as indicated.

E is a funnelshaped shell concentric to the outer shell, B, and somewhat larger at its upper end than is the flange D at its lower edge,

which projects down a short distance within the shell E.

the shell D, or both, by means of ties or braces e a. (See Fig. 1.) In connection with these shells or casings, I propose to use an aspirator for the purpose of separating material into different grades, according to the size and specific gravity of the parts of which it is com- I propose to connect the upper end of this shell E with either the shell B or 1 posed, and will proceed to describe one form nected to and carried by other parts of the machine, as will be explained.

I is the bottom wallor head of the fan,which is connected to and supported upon the flange c by means of arms or brackets t i. Theshell f of the fan-case is, by preference, not circular, but somewhat scroll-shaped, as indicated in Fig. 3, the mouth of the fan opening into the annular space or dust-separating chamber between the concentric shells B O. f of the wall of this annular space may be made in a separate piece, or it may consist of one end of the part f bent backward, so as to form one side of the mouth of the fan.

J J J 2 represent the outer shell or inclosingcasing of an aspirator-chamber, the open upper end of which connects with the eye of the fan, and in fact, by preference, is fitted tightly into this eye and secured thereto by screws or pins when the head of thefan-case is made of wood, or it may be soldered thereto when the headis made of sheet metal. By preference the central or intermediate section, J, of this aspirator-shell is not only circular but cylindrical, and jj are a series of rings of different diameters arranged concentrically within the part J.

9'' are a series of funnelshaped rings arranged one within another, and each connected at its upper edge to the lower edge of one of the cylinder-shaped ringsj-as, for example, by tiesj Thus there is formed within the shell of the aspirator a series of annular chambers. (See particularly Figs. 1,6, and 7.)

The section K K are a series of flaring rings, three in number and of different diameters the upper smallest one being suspended by its lower edge from the lower edge of the inner f unnel-shaped ring, j. The next larger" ring K is suspended in like manner from the nextlarger ofthe funnel-shaped ringsj, and so on.

L L are respectively the arms and hollow sleeve of a spider, the spokes or arms L of which are inclined downward and outward from the sleeve L, and are at their lower ends attached to horizontal plates or bars Z by rivetting or soldering; or these arms L may be bent outward on horizontal lines to take the place ofthe plates Z.

j j represent a series of valves or dampers attached by their upper edges to the plates or bars Z, and fitting closely the outer faces of the ringsjj, and projecting downward below their lower edges (when in the position shown in Fig. 1) and into the annular spaces or channels or throats between the funnelshaped ringsjj, and between the outermost of these rings and the part J of the aspiratorshell. I prefer to connect the series of rings j j K from the section J of the shell of the aspirator by means of a series of ties,j. (See particularly Fig. 9.)

L is a lever projecting through the fan-head and the shell J, and connected at its inner end to the sleeve L, whereby the valves may be operated by lilting the spider and all of the valves simultaneously to regulate the strength and velocity of the air-currents.

M is a feeding-disk of any ordinary sort attached to and carried by the fan-shaft G.

N n is a feeder-tube, of which the outer ring, a, is adjustable by link and lever a a relatively to the disk M, as is customary in that kind of feeder, and carries atits lower end an outwardpro ecting flange, M, which practically closes the space between the feeder-tube and the lower end of the innermost ringj.

N is a feed-spout.

O is a hopper, and a delivery-spout.

In Fig. 9 the shell E is omitted, so that the separating-chamber 1) consists of a practically unbroken space between the outer shell, B B, and the shell 0 and the aspirator, the upper fan-head, H, extending entirely across the shell B, the lower fan-head, I, closing the annular space between the shell 0 and the upper end of the shell of the aspirator, except that the feed-spout passes through the fan-heads.

My machine may be operated as follows: The fan and feeder being put in operation by a belt from any suitable motor to the pulley on the upper end of the fan shaft, material fed in through spout N is delivered by the feed ing-disk M in a sort of spray, and falls thence outside of the ringsK K, where it is separated by the aircurrents which move upward, substantiall y as indicated by the arrows in Fig. l, the lighter particles being taken up by the ascending aircurrent and passing through the fan out of its mouth and into the separating-chamber, where such lighter particles are separated from the air-current by centrifugal action and are discharged at the lower end of the machine. Under some conditions the material taken out from the aspirating chamber by the air-current will be divided into two grades, by reason of differences in the specific gravity oft-he particles,some ofwhieh will pass down through the space between the shells B E, other parts going down inside of shell E and out through the spout at itslower end. I propose to regulate the strength of the aircurrent through the aspirator by means of the link and lever L it being evident that by raising the spider L L and the valves or dampersj the throats between the lower edges of these rings and the funnelshaped rings j will be widened, thus permitting a stronger aircurrent to pass upward with a given or uniform speed of the fan, it being of course understood that each of these valves fits somewhat closely to the ringj which itsurrounds. Such material as is delivered to the aspirator through the feed-spout but is not taken out by the air-current passes over the flaring rings K, thence into the funnel O and out through the spout 0. The air from which the material has been separated within the separatingchamber passes again through the aspirator and out through the mouth of the fan. Thus it will be seen that the air-current follows substantially the same serpentine course round and round again through the machine, separating the material into different grades according to its specific gravity, the finer particles being removed from the air-current by centrifugal action.

While under many circumstancesa satisfactory separation of the material will be effected with an annular space between the shells of the proportion indicated in Fig. 1, yet it may he sometimes found advantageous to make the outer shell much larger in proportion to the others than is shown in the drawings, or to relatively reduce the horizontal diameters of the inner shells; and where but two grades are desired the shell E may be omitted, so that all the material which is taken outby the air-current while passing through the aspirator is discharged at the bottom of the shell B.

Of course the ties or other connections between the flaring rings K and the converging rings j should be of such character as will permit a free passage for the middlings, or the rings K may be attached to or carried by the fan-shaft.

It will be seen that after the air-current leaves the aspirator and enters the separatingchamber its velocity is greatly rednced,by reason of the separating-chamber being ofso large size or capacity relatively to the aspiratingchamber, one result being that material which is taken out by the air-current will fall to the bottom of theseparating-chamber irrespective of any effect of centrifugal action. This he comes a quite important feature in the operation of the machine, especially when it is being used for separating particles or small granular substances which are so heavy that ICC:

. chamber.

they can only be taken from the mass bya quite strong ai r-current-as, for instance, when the machine is being .used for the grading or cleaning ot'grain it being well known that it is frequently desirable to separate shriveled broken grain and other things fromgrain as it is ordinarily received into a mill, clevato'r, or other placeol' storage. Y

It will also be understood that the aireurrent as it travels in acurvilinear path, lilseal vortex, aroundinsideof the funnel-shaped shells B E makes, the circuit of these shells in less and less time as it descends from their up per wider ends, this increase in the rapidity of rotation being useful in separating the material from the air-current by centrifugal ac tion. So, also, an etfective separation, particularly of the finer particles, and all dividing of the material into different grades, are facilitated by the use of the shell E with its large open end uppermost, and the presence of thesh'ell O, which'is of larger diameter than shell E, and consequently occupies a position intermediate between shells E and B, mate rially modifies the movements of the air-current after leaving the fan,and insures that such air-current and the material carried by it shall be directed downward into the annular space between the funnelshaped shells E and B.

It will also be understood that the arrange ment of the aspiratin'g-chamber below the fan and at'some distance below the upper ends of the surroundingseparatirig-chambersisvery advantageous, because, among other things, it insures that the air-current shall have the finer parti eles of inat'erialiefiectually separated therefrom before it re-enters the aspiraling- Again, by arranging the aspiratingchamher below the fan and interposing the valves 9'" in the air passages and above the points where the material falling through the aspirating-chamber is first acted upon by the air-currents I am enabled to regulate with great accuracy the amount of air which goes through the concentric air-passages orthro'ats between the lower edges of therings K and the adjacent rings j without in any manner disturbing the sizes or proportions of those parts or their areas in cross-section, aml am thus able to regulate with great accuracy the character of the material which is taken out by the air-currents.

It will also be seen that the feed-spout is in parteccentric'to the fan-case, its lower part be ing carried in through the shell of the aspirator and surrounding the fanshaft.

I' am aware that it is common to arrange a series of flaring rings of an aspirator between Thu-blades suspended from above and projecting down to about a line with the uppcrcdge of the lowermost. ring, with avalve below these parts forregulating the intlow of the air; but in such earlier machine the diameter of the fan (which had the feeding-disk attached to it.)

' was such that thedraft would be much st ronger through the lower air-throats of theserics than through the upper ones, particularly when the "alve was closed to such an extent asto mate abrasion of the broken wheat or partiallyre,

duced wheat, whereby there is effected a marked saving lnthe amount of fine flour or dust produced by the frequent separations which are involved in the system of milling which is commonly known as gradual reduction.

I have shown a form of aspirator and a form ofseparating-chamberwhich I regard as being the best adapted for the carrying outof my nr vention; but do not wish tobe limited tothe specific devices herein shown.

\Vhat I claim is.-

1. In aseparatingmachine, the combination of a fan, an aspirating-eliamber below the fan and connected with the eye of the fan, and a separating-chambcr surrounding the aspirating-chan'iber' and connected to the month of the fan, whereby air put in motion by the fan is causpd to. travel continuously through the Jim, the aspiratingehamher,. and theseparat tug-chamber, substantially as set forth.

2. In a separati ngmachine, the combination of a fan, an aspirating'chamber below the fan and connected with theeye of the fan,'a fun- 'nel-shaped separatingchainber sn'rroundin the aspirating-ehamber and connected to the mouth of the fan, whereby the air-current put in motion by the fan has imparted to it a whirling motion within the. separating-chambcr and travels in a circular path of reduced diameter after leaving the fan'and before entering the lower part of the aspirat-ing-chamher, substantially as set forth."

3. I n' a separating-machine, the combination of a fan, an aspirati'ngchamber below the fan and connected with the eye of the fan, ajsepaf ICC) fun and connected wit-h its eye, the lower part of. the aspirating-chamber being arranged. within the funnclshaped part of the separat-: ing-chainber, substantially as set forth.

5. In a separating-machine, the combination of a fan, an aspiratingchamber below the fan, and a series of valves arranged-in the air-passages of the aspirator above the point/at which the air-currents first act upon the falling ma terlal within the aspirating-ehamber, substantially as set forth. 6. In a separatingehamber the combination of a fan, an aspirating-ehnmber, a separatingchamber su rrounding the aspiratiug-chamber, a funnel'shaped shell open at its upperjend and interposed between the outer shell of theseparating-chamber and the aspirator, and a down ward-projecting flange arranged between the upper open end of the futinetshabedchamber and theonter wall of the separating ehamb'r, substantially as set forth.

7. In a'separating-maehine, the combination, with the outer casing, B B, of the shell 0, the fan within the shell C and opening into the chamber between the casing B B and shell 0, the aspirating-chamber below the fan and connected with he eye tl1ere6f,a tlischartge opening at the bottom of the casing B B, and the hopper below the aspirnting-ehamher, provided with a (lisehargespout, 0, substantially as set forth.

8. In a separating-niacinne, the combination of the outer casing, the fan arranged within the outer easing, the aspiratingchamber below the fan, the valves, and a lever, L in the wall of the aspiratorchember, substantially as set forth. 7 v I n I 9. In a separating mechi'n'e, the combination of the outer casing, the fan'within the outer casing, the feetler within the espirating-chamher, and the lever nQp'ivotefi'in the Wall of the aspirating-chamber, substantially as set fort-h. 10. In a separatirig-machine, the combination of the outer casing, the fan, the espirat "ing-chntnher'within the outer casing connected with the eyeof the ten above the feetler within the separatiug-ehamber, and. the feedepout arranged eccentric to the fan and passing through the separating-chamber and through the wall of the aspirating-ehamber, substantially as set forth.

In testimony Whereof i' aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NOAH W. HOLT. XVit-nesses;

H. H. DOUBLEDAY, M. P. CALLAN. 

